What really matters- Playspace Etiquette- We found not only are their conventions and rules to follow at home but they exist at any playground or playspace you go to. Here Whitney and I are at a children’s museum where she loves the slide but she bumps into lines and taking turns (see video to right). At first Whitney wanted to slide down and then crawl straight back up the slide. Obviously, the child waiting to come down did not think this was a good idea. But our little toddlers quickly pick up on these social rules and early “moral behavior” and Whitney started to follow the rules by coming down then preceding around to the back of the line.

How to put it into practice-

Tuning In- There are usually plenty of places which call for turn taking so be aware of them and once identified we can always help our toddlers see the line and recognize that there are others who want to use the same thing. These are early opportunities for building moral foundations.

Bridging-  All we really need to do is call our toddlers attention to the other person who would like to use the same object. We can say “Look that little boy is currently using it; but when he is done it will be our turn.” Similiarly, if someone else is waiting, we can say “Look Whitney, this little girl is waiting; let’s take our last turn and then give her a turn.” These little common courtesies go a long way for establishing respect and building moral inclinations.